Now, a report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple's iPhone sales weren't hurt by lower-than-expected consumer demand, but rather by the limited supply of touchscreens.

For the first time, Apple relied on new in-cell technology to make a thinner screen with a better display for the latest iPhone. This new touchscreen is part of the reason why the Apple was able to make the iPhone thinner, but it also appears to be contributing to a slower roll out of the product.

Two weeks before the iPhone 5 launch, the Wall Street Journal reported that Sharp, one of Apple's main suppliers for screens, was experiencing production delays. Bloomberg reports that Sharp struggled to "reduce defects" in the new screens which prevented the company from shipping parts before the iPhone 5's debut. Meanwhile, Apple's other screen suppliers LG and Japan Display have reportedly struggled to keep up with demand as well.

While Apple has yet to mention the limited supply of touchscreens in particular, CEO Tim Cook did allude to general supply constraints in his statement announcing the first weekend sales for the iPhone 5. Cook said the company has "sold out of our initial supply" and is "working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible."

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